Apple Cutting Ties for iPhone 6?

According to EMSOne, by way of Macotakara, Apple is planning a split from Samsung when the current contract for making the mobile chips in the iPhone and iPad expires this June.

Samsung makes the Apple A series processors found in the iPhone and iPad, including the iPhone 5 A6 processor and the iPad 4’s A6X processor.

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Intel may begin making Apple A7 processors, which may end up in the iPhone 5S. Image via iFixit

This latest rumor claims Apple is planning to move the Apple A7 processor production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a Taiwanese company, when the contract expires. This report claims Apple is planning a smaller 20-nanometer Apple A7 processor for 2014.

Earlier rumors, including insight from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the iPhone 5S will see the Apple A7 processor as part of the minimal updates to the next iPhone.

One possibility is that the rumors are correct about the shift away from Samsung, but that the chip is actually a farther out version of the Apple A processor series, possibly an Apple A8 chip. The other possibility is that Apple is planning an Apple A6X chip or some other revamped processor for the iPhone 5S.

An iPhone with Less Samsung

As Apple started to see Samsung as a competitor in the smartphone arena, rather than a partner, Apple started the shift away from reliance on Samsung.

According to the infographic below, from the Economist, the iPhone 4 used Samsung for the flash memory, RAM and the Apple A processor. This represented a large portion of the cost of the iPhone at the time. The chart also highlight the growth Samsung made in marketshare from 2010 to 2011, when the rivalry heated up more.

In addition to the processor, Apple is reportedly severing ties with Samsung Display for several mobile products such as the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2. Though a later report claims Samsung is making an attempt to gain a role in making displays for the rumored iPad 5.

The iPhone 5S is expected in 2013, while the iPhone 6 is rumored as Apple’s next major redesigned iPhone. The iPhone 6 may feature wireless charging and other features that don’t make the cut with the next iPhone.

There have never been any big revolutionary things with Apple. They’ve always taken something another company was doing unsuccessfully (microsoft, motorolla, nokia, etc.) and improved on it, made it sleeker, and marketed it towards the masses in a dumbed down way.